The European Court of Justice has played a major role in the development of what is now the European Union, but the way the Court has used its powers have been highly controversial. The new edition of this book examines the contribution of the Court in shaping the legal framework within which the EU operates. It considers the Court's place among the Union's institutions; its organization and working methods; what its powers are; how it has used those powers to resolve important questions of both constitutional and substantive law; and certain general questions relating to its overall approach. Throughout, the implications of the Union's Constitutional Treaty, signed by the Member States in Rome in October 2004 are taken fully into account.